Investigation Could Touch Brattton; Bernie Vindicated
"As one of the most renowned law enforcement people in the world, I'd say Bratton's solid endorsement is worth a lot."
Page 201 of the landmark Christopher Commission Report on the problems with the LAPD under Chief Daryl Gates found that while a Police Chief has the legal "right" to endorse candidates for office the Chief should not. This was not only the view of the panel led by the esteemed attorney and former US Secretary of State Warren Christopher but by a number of other big city police chiefs surveyed. At issue were endorsements made by then Chief Gates even following the admonishment of several members of the Police Commission. Even Gates himself later told the commission he made his endorsments out of "anger" and that such endorsements were "improper and should be discouraged."
Despite that admonition and a more current reminder from the LA Weekly earlier this year, Bratton, as he usually does, went ahead anyway and endorsed a spat of candidates and causes including Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Jack Weiss' failed bid for City Attorney and even his own boss, backing Mayor Villaraigosa for re-election. ThisBlogger in draft: Mayor Sam's Sister City - Home of Los Angeles Politics - Create Post is typical of Bratton's smug and self-serving efforts that run afoul of what most folks would consider ethical behaivor and common decency. Fortuanately, we'll be done with him soon.
In physics however there for every action there is a reaction and at least one of Bratton's endorsements - that of Ridley-Thomas is going to come back and bite Bratton in his Irish "Bah-stan" ass.
As reported by my buddy Patrick Range McDonald in the LA Weekly federal authorities are investigating Ridley-Thomas's fundraising efforts and that of an organization backing Ridley-Thomas, the "Alliance for a Stronger Community." The federal investigation could extend to Bratton himself.
Given that the City's top cop should be above even the appearance of impropriety and political dealings, all future Chiefs would be wise to follow Christopher's and Gates' advice. Looks like a vindication of Ridley-Thomas' chief opponent, Councilmember and former LAPD Chief Bernard Parks who did follow the policy as Chief and was savaged by Bratton during the campaign.
Labels: bernard parks, chief william bratton, Mark Ridley-Thomas
Posted by Michael Higby @ 9/18/2009 02:00:00 AM
6 Comments:
Pathetic attempt to stir up misplaced outrage, Higby. This was linked to yesterday and laughed off AGAIN by many. Also McDonald gives at least passing acknowledgement that Baca is as "responsible" or at fault if anyone is -- and that's a figment of his own bias.
To show how pathetically like this blog the Weekly's gotten, if not even worse and less professional, Hempel's claim in HIS piece that the Catholic Church is trying to unfairly influence the CD2 race by only inviting the top 3 candidates is based on sheer ignorance -- the church is just being used as a venue for rent by the Valley Village Neighborhood group holding the meeting.
This is a new low, Higby. What's the matter, Bratton DIDN'T endorse your guy Krekorian? He didn't endorse anyone in this race, so your making a whole thread about it is the only "weird" aspect.
Michael you have never like Chief Bratton. And instead of having some class you never had the decency to give him his just credit and acknowledgement for his accomplishments. But like the slimy reporters we have you post the negative shit. This Chief has done more for the city then our politicians. He's turned around a police dept. that Bitter Bernie almost took to the toliet. His poll numbers are in the high percentages and please Bitter Bernie would never ever be vindicated and for you to even state that is laughable. I can understand the Chief endorsing Mark. He's done incredible things for public safety as an Assemblyman. WE are living in a different time and age of politics.
What does this crazily biased headline mean? The investigation would not "touch Bratton" except insofar as he might have to attest to knowing nothing about SEIU's doings with Ridley-Thomas, as a matter of form, and that is McDonald's speculation as a Bratton- hater. (read some of the comments.)
And "Bernie Vindicated" from WHAT? Certainly not from his big share of responsibility for requiring the Consent Decree by refusal to clean house internally, even as he was hated for being an arbitrary, authoritarian Chief by his men and women in blue.
Just because he's finally come out on the Budget issue - after being the head of the Budget Committee and as culpable as anyone - you say he's "vindicated" as having been a horrible Chief? I agree with 5:47 about your bias blinding you.
Now that the LAPD spin chamber has finished let us move back to the real world.
Bratton is a self centered vindictive asshole who benefited more from sociological trends that have been at work for years rather than anything he "accomplished."
Also as Walter Moore and the LA Weekly proved Bratton and Villar cooked the books on crime stats and lied.
I agree with Higby someone tell Bratton don't let the door hit his ass on the way out. Soon we'll have a real chief again. Unless Villar fucks it up.
LA Weekly is right. Stupid Bratton, Cooley and Baca endorsing candidates mean the Feds have to investigate now because the LAPD, LA DA and LASD are tainted.
8:53: It's about time the DA Cooley and Sheriff Baca are investigated, starting with their endorsements and keep in mind, Cooley recruited, ran, got funds and endorsements for, the whole works, to get Trutanich in so he can be his own henchman. Baca also co-endorsed some 1 1/2 years before the election, and then played them against each other to see which would give him the most payback, and Weiss didn't play.
Bratton only endorsed in January or February of this year to counter them and their lies, etc., and very positively as an individual. Cooley made lots of personal attacks on Weiss and lies, and Baca made personal attacks later that were just false. In light of this it's crazily biased to pick on Bratton for coming out and saying what he knew to have been true about the guy he worked with.
IF Cooley and Baca hadn't done what they did - and they endorse and play politics all the time, Baca has his nose in this election, too - I'd say good, no endorsements by ANY law enforcement official, elected or appointed. Saying it's OK if they're elected is B.S. because as people point out, elected officials are beholden to those who elect them, unions like PPL or the Prison Guard Union, etc., and in the case of Cooley, he's got his "bosses" the Supervisors by the shorthairs, using his secret police to collect dirt on everyone in the city to keep them in line.
The very fact this thread is only about Bratton and crazily accuses him of something (Trutanich style) clearly unfounded, uses as an example to Bratton and "vindicates" Parks the disastrous Chief whose mess Bratton just finished cleaning up -- too much.
(Bernie may have found his forte as budget committee member, but he's been bashing Bratton out of spite, still all wrong for LAPD.)
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